


An Unfortunate Turn of Events

by TheEndeavorNetwork



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Extended Universe, Man of Steel (2013), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Clark trying to be a hero even without powers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Lois is kinda mean, Non-Explicit Sex, The Daily Planet staff is an organism that feeds on gossip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:28:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24765421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEndeavorNetwork/pseuds/TheEndeavorNetwork
Summary: Lois is pissed that the greenhorn at work is her soulmate. No matter how cute he is, she's not going to let him derail her life.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Lois Lane
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't spend nearly as long editing this as I have on other fics, so please tell me if you notice any bad typos or grammatical errors.
> 
> Also, this is my first attempt at writing a soulmate AU, and I'm barely familiar with the genre. I just got the idea and wanted to write it.
> 
> EDIT: Learned from an asexual friend recently that Soulmate AUs are problematic, so I'd like to clarify my ideas in this fic to avoid ace/aro erasure. Not everyone in this world has a soulmate, just some people. If you have one, then touching them will bond you. Also, someone can have multiple soulmates.

Lois huffed as she paced around the copy machine.

“I don’t think you can intimidate it into working, Lois,” Lombard said from behind her. He wore his signature smug look as he loitered with a stack of paper tucked under his arm.

She didn’t pay him any mind, instead stabbing at the control panel some more with her fingertips. She felt Lombard looking over her shoulder.

“Don’t think that’ll help.”

She rounded on him, and he stepped back.

“Do you know how to fix this thing, or are you just taking up space?”

He raised his hands in surrender before retreating. Lois put her hands on her hips and confronted the machine again.

“Lois!” Perry called from down the hall.

“Yeah?” she said shortly, not bothering to look up.

“I’d like you to meet our new stringer.”

“Uh-huh.” She kicked the machine.

“ _Lois_ ,” Perry chided.

“What? I didn’t even do it hard.”

She turned to face him. He looked less annoyed than he sounded. Beside him stood a tall, bespectacled young man with black hair and a satchel slung over one shoulder.

“Lois, this is Clark Kent. Kent, Lois Lane.” He gestured between them.

The new guy beamed and offered his hand.

“Ms. Lane, it’s an honor to meet you,” he said with barely contained enthusiasm.

She reached to shake his hand, but she froze as their skin made contact. So did he. They stared at each other in amazement. It was almost intoxicating to look at him. His blue eyes were deep and hypnotic. He was wearing some sort of flowery cologne. She wanted to get closer to him, to breath it in from his neck.

She didn’t even realize how long they had been awkwardly staring at each other until her sanity slowly crept in. And with it came a horrifying realization.

_“Oh God, no. Tell me this isn’t…”_

She wrestled with herself to let go. When she succeeded in pulling away, she stumbled back. His hand was still suspended in the air. Perry looked stunned, but not confused. Lois registered that a sea of heads was staring at them.

“I-I have to…” she stuttered, glancing between Kent and Perry, “to fix the copier…”

She marched away, pulling her cardigan tighter around her as the walls closed in. She kept her gaze on the carpet to avoid meeting the dozens of eyes she could feel watching her. Inside the break room, she locked the door and sank down on the cracked leather couch.

This was truly a nightmare scenario. She just bonded with a random stringer in front of the whole office! Lois groaned and buried her face in her hands. She couldn’t really be mad at Perry. These things were unpredictable. But, did it have to happen here? Her work was supposed to be a haven, separate from her personal life. If she had bonded with someone at the store or her apartment building or literally anywhere that wasn’t _The Daily Planet_ , it would have been fine.

She couldn’t have a freak-out in here. That would only make the gossip worse. She inhaled and exhaled a few times to calm down, then stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked out. She was relieved that the new guy was nowhere in sight. Her peers still watched her, though they tried to be subtle about it.

As she passed near Lombard’s desk, he said, “Perry wants you in his office.”

She tried to ignore the amused glint in Lombard’s otherwise serious face. She knocked twice on Perry’s door before entering. He sat up in his chair.

“Yes?” she said, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

He held up his palms. “So?”

“’So’ what?”

“What do we do?”

Lois crossed her arms. “About what?”

“C’mon, Lois. I saw what just happened.” He waited with eyebrows raised, but she said nothing. He sighed and shook his head. “I can see you’re pissed, so I’ll ask you straight-out: Should I let him go?”

“You just hired him.”

“Exactly. It’s better to do it now. It’s up to you, Lois.”

If Perry had to choose between a greenhorn and the comfort of his best staffer, he was going to go with the latter.

“It makes sense, doesn’t it?” she murmured and started to pace.

“Alright, I’ll call him later.”

“No,” she said suddenly, and Perry looked up in confusion, “It’s not fair to fire the guy because…something unpreventable happened.”

“If you feel uncomfortable working with him –“

“I’ll be fine. I can handle it.”

“So, you’re gonna be ok?”

She nodded, though she wasn’t a hundred-percent certain.

Perry leaned back and appraised her, but he didn’t challenge her. “Ok. You’re free to go.”

No one stared at her this time, and the office was almost back to its usual noise level. The one good thing about _The Daily Planet’s_ gossip culture was that, even if people were talking about you, they at least let you pretend it wasn’t happening.


	2. Chapter 2

Lois felt shot the following day. She’d been haunted the whole night by visions of blue eyes and an impossible jawline. She stumbled through her morning routine. She almost let her neurosis prevent her from going to work, but she refused to be overcome by the unfortunate turn of events.

When she got to work, Kent wasn’t even there, much to her relief. She sat down at her desk, ready to throw herself into part three of an investigative series. She noticed that the desk diagonal to her, which had previously been empty, was now occupied. Her stomach lurched with dread, but a quick examination of the picture frames told her that it belonged to Allek, an arts and culture reporter. Lois didn’t have to wonder why. Kent was getting Allek’s old desk on the other side of the office, far away from her. She was grateful to Perry for the consideration. She was in a very weird place right now: She wanted to see Kent badly, but she also wanted to avoid him.

She took a sip of coffee. As soon as the bitter liquid slid down her throat, she started to feel her head screw back on. A guilty little voice in her head said that if she wasn’t addicted to it, it wouldn’t have that effect. She managed to finish the new draft by the end of the day and sent it to the editor. She stretched in her chair as an email notification popped up in the corner of her computer screen. It was from Perry.

_‘Kent’s coming in.’_

_“Aw, shit,”_ she thought.

She sat forward and typed back: _‘Thanks.’_

Her first instinct was to flee, but why should she run like a coward? She was here before him. Where would she even go? The bathroom, only to come right back after he left? No, that’d be ridiculous. If she was going to lose control of her life, at least she could maintain her dignity while it happened.

Not knowing exactly when he would show up was more nerve-wracking than she had anticipated. She sipped on her coffee every few seconds. When she heard the elevator doors open, she stared straight ahead at her screen. Her fingers drummed on the desk. Kent passed into her line of sight on his way to Perry’s office. He was wearing a blue and white plaid shirt and khakis. She drank in the sight of him till he disappeared.

As the door shut, she experienced a pang of fear. What if Perry fired him despite her reassurances? What if Kent resigned? She hadn’t considered that he might be just as uncomfortable with this as she was. She stared almost longingly at the closed blinds, wishing she could be a fly on the wall.

After a several minutes, Kent exited the room. He locked eyes with her as if he had known she was there all along. Again, the world seemed to freeze as they stared at each other. Lois really hated the way he made her feel. She wondered how long she could last without talking to him. She also wondered if she could manage to tear her eyes away. She did it yesterday, but that was before she spent a sleepless night and a day thinking about him.

Kent broke the gaze and walked away. She followed him with her eyes.

When the office was closing for the night, Lois hung back while everyone else packed up their stuff and headed for the elevator. She hoped that Kent would be one of the first to leave. She didn’t dare look to check, so she took her time gathering her things and logging off the computer. When the initial rush of departures had died down, she made her way to the elevator, where other stragglers were waiting. Kent wasn’t among them. She did a visual sweep of the office to make sure he was gone. A pair of wide blue eyes stared at her from across the room. She whipped her head back around. Was he going to ride down alone? His bashfulness was absurd and infuriating and adorable, although she suspected she would have done the same thing had their positions been reversed.

The elevator returned, and they huddled in. Lois squeezed in near the back. One of the women at the front stuck her arm out to stop the doors from closing and leaned out.

“Hey, Kent, there’s room for one more!”

In a group of strangers, Lois would’ve put it down to courtesy. This was _The Daily Planet_. It wasn’t courtesy so much as a voyeuristic desire to see what would happen when a cigarette was thrown on a stick of dynamite.

“Ah…” Kent’s uneasy, muffled voice responded, “I’m ok. Don’t want it to be too crowded in there.”

His voice was deep and dulcet and she wanted to hear more of it.

“Don’t be silly,” the evil woman called back, “There’s plenty of space.”

In reality, there was standing room for one more person, and Lois would inevitably be sandwiched between Kent’s back and the person behind her.

“I don’t mind waiting, honestly. Go ahead.” He sounded anxious now.

“Come on, Kent!” a man said, joining the league of people who just wanted to watch Lois’s life burn, “Get in here! We’re all waiting!”

“Yeah, Kent! Come on!” added a third person.

Lois briefly considered her options for revenge. Put laxatives in the Christmas Party potluck, maybe? She hoped Kent had the backbone to resist their nefarious peer pressure, but he turned out to be a disappointment. Several more seconds of nagging later, and he appeared in the doorway, a stressed crease between his eyebrows. Lois looked down at a very interesting spot on the floor, and he stepped in and turned his back.

The elevator felt hot. She didn’t know if it was the bodies packed in like sardines or if it was just her imagination. In spite of herself, she tried to smell Kent’s cologne or body wash or whatever it was. She failed to pick out anything that could definitively be him, as opposed to the people around them. When the elevator stopped on the first floor, Kent got out first. When she caught sight of him again, he was already exiting the glass doors to the street outside.


	3. Chapter 3

Lois nursed a glass of wine in one hand as she opened up a new tab on her laptop. She was snuggled under a blanket on her couch. The TV was muted since she was about to undertake some important research that was most certainly not stalking. She typed in “Clark Kent journalist.” She scrolled down the first page of results and found something promising with “Concordia Gazette Staff Members.”

She opened the link in a new tab. It looked like a small newspaper’s website. Not the pinnacle of graphic design, but functional. One of the names in the short list of staffers was “Clark Kent,” but there was no picture, so she couldn’t tell if it was him. She went back and clicked on “Images.” One of the pictures was of a small group of people standing together outside the _Gazette_ building. She zeroed in on Kent’s smiling face in the back.

She had identified her mystery man. She typed in “Clark Kent Concordia Gazette,” and some of his articles came up. Most of them were local political coverage or the kind of fluff pieces she would expect from a small paper: Festivals, sporting events, and the like. She opened one of the political articles and scrolled down to his bio at the bottom of the page.

_‘Clark Kent is a staff writer at the Concordia Gazette. A Kansas native from Smallville, he has dual degrees in Philosophy and Communication Studies from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.’_

“Philosophy, huh?”

She scrolled back up to the top and read the article in full. Then, she read another. His tone and language were surprisingly accessible. He was a little too empathetic, though, to the point of moralism. He would have to work on that. Granted, the articles were published over a year ago.

She turned her attention to Smallville next. There was a Wikipedia article, but it was only a paragraph long. It was a sprawling farming/ranching town with a population of approximately 2,000. Founded near the end of the 19th century. Nothing of note had happened there.

So, Kent was an academic from the sticks with a promising career in journalism. He probably came to Metropolis to level up and make a bigger impact, if his wide-eyed fanboy reaction upon meeting her was any indication. It was almost inspirational.

Before she knew it, her cursor was drifting over to open her email. She started a new message and put Kent’s email address as the recipient. Perry had wordlessly sent it to her through text earlier.

_‘Dear Cla-‘_

She pounded the backspace and stared at the blank box, wondering what she was doing. She wasn’t even drunk yet.

_‘Kent,…’_

Her fingers hovered over the keys, but she had to stop again because she had no idea how to continue. A flurry of potential introductions rushed through her head:

 _“I think we should address the elephant in the room.” “Would you like to talk?” “Are you leaving the_ Planet _?” “I believe we are perfectly capable of being professional.” “Do you feel comfortable working in the same environment? It would probably be grating for the both of us.”_

A new email popped into her inbox. It was from Kent.

Panic consumed her for several seconds before she skimmed the first line of the preview: _‘Dear Ms. Lane, I apologize for this unsolicited message. I thought I should – ‘_

_“Jesus, why does he write like he’s from the 1800s?”_

She minimized her own draft and opened his email.

_‘Dear Ms. Lane,_

_I apologize for this unsolicited message. I thought I should reach out. I completely understand that my presence at the Daily Planet, which has been your home for so many years, would be disruptive. It would be disrespectful to you if I intruded. I am happy to resign and harbor no ill feelings toward you or Mr. White. The decision is my own._

_Thank you, and it truly was a privilege to meet you._

_Best,_

_Clark Kent’_

“What kind of self-sacrificing maniac is this?” Lois asked aloud, even as a different kind of panic set in.

For the first time, with absolute assuredness, she didn’t want him to leave. She barely thought it through as she hit Reply.

_‘Dear Clark,_

_Please don’t resign. It’s not necessary. I think we can work together just fine._

_-Lois’_

She smashed Send before she had time to freak out over her wording. She stared at the inbox, waiting in agony for a response. It came less than a minute later.

_‘Alright, thank you._

_Goodnight.’_

How could he be so casual now after crafting that Victorian prose? Lois leaned her head back and sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

Kent stayed out of the office most of the time, leaving Lois to go crazy again wondering where he was and if he would show up at all. Despite feeling like a wreck, she looked ok. Her mind was hyperactive. She wasn’t sleeping nights. It was like a disease. Part of her subconscious was apparently now dedicated to thinking about him. She was always itching to get a fix by staring at him or hearing his voice, or even both if she was lucky. She wondered if he was experiencing any adverse effects, too.

When Kent did show up, it was usually just before the end of the day. She did her best to ignore him. One evening, as she went to collect some papers from the printer, she spotted Jenny, one of the interns, leaning against Kent’s desk. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they were both smiling. Kent’s eyes glinted when he smiled, and he had dimples.

Jealously flared up within Lois, but the rational part of her brain wrestled the reigns back.

_“Don’t be an idiot. They’re just being friendly. Jenny’s new here, too.”_

She needed to get a grip. She didn’t want to turn into an asshole just because she was emotionally and sexually frustrated. She knew what she had to do. When she was seated at her desk again, she hastily composed an email.

_‘Kent,_

_We need to have a talk. Can you meet at the park after work?’_

A few minutes passed before the reply came in.

_‘Yes, I look forward to it.’_

She narrowed her eyes. What exactly did he mean? If he was getting the wrong idea, she would straighten him out later.

The park was only a couple blocks from the tower. She stood near the edge of the grass, looking around as if Lombard or one of her other coworkers was going to be hiding behind a bush like a P.I. from a bad TV show.

“Hey.”

The thrill that raced down her spine at the sound of his voice did nothing to soften her expression as she turned to him.

“What are you looking for?” he continued. He seemed amused.

“Nothing,” she said curtly.

“Do you want to sit down?” he asked, pointing to a bench.

“No. This won’t take long. I just need to clarify a few things.”

He tilted his head a little. Lois beat down the part of her that gushed over the cuteness of the gesture.

“What is it, then?” he asked.

“Me asking you not to quit doesn’t mean anything.”

His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, so she continued.

“Also, don’t tell anyone about anything that happens between us…”

“I would never do that,” he broke in indignantly.

“That includes our conversations. Don’t speak to me at the office or anywhere else unless I speak to you first. That’s all.”

“You sure?” he asked with a bitter humor.

“Yes.” She pretended not to notice that he was angry.

He shrugged as if to tell himself it didn’t matter. “So, that’s all? You want me to leave now?”

“I’ll leave, too.”

“When are we going to talk about,” he gestured between them, “us?”

“There is no ‘us.’ That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”

“Ever?”

“Don’t be dramatic. I didn’t ask for this to happen.”

“Am I just an inconvenience for you? Did you ever consider how I might be feeling?”

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t have time to worry about you. We’re both adults.”

His anger fizzled out to a pained shock. “Ok,” he murmured, then turned abruptly and walked away.

She felt bad about hurting him, but it was really for the best. He needed to understand the boundaries. She wasn’t about to throw herself into his arms and start planning forever. He was going to have to learn the hard way. Life wasn’t so easy.


	5. Chapter 5

She heard the news on the taxi’s radio: Someone sent a bomb to the _Gotham Free Press_. Thankfully, it didn’t go off. Folks over there were used to crazy shit. A threat against a newspaper was every journalist’s worst nightmare, but it was also a paper-selling miracle. Lois could just imagine the owners of the _Free Press_ licking their chops.

The elevator doors opened, and she saw Lombard approaching with his coat in hand.

“Hold the doors for me!” he said as he jogged up, “Did you see the news?”

“Who hasn’t?”

“Perry wants me over there, stat.”

“You?” she laughed, “Be careful.”

He grinned as he stepped into the elevator. “Jealous?”

“You’re the one who has to go to Gotham, not me.”

“Hey, it’s kinda charming once you get used to the smog and the giant rats.”

“Have fun!” she called as the doors closed on him.

She reached her desk and moved to set her coffee down on the table.

Suddenly, there was a muffled boom, and the room shook. She yelped, and the coffee spilled on the floor. She gripped the edge of the table and looked around wildly.

“What was that?” someone yelled.

“Something downstairs!”

“Did they send a bomb here, too?”

They stared around at each other, wide-eyed for several petrified seconds. Perry’s voice rang out.

“Everybody evacuate now!” he yelled, “Take the stairs!”

He was already jogging toward the exit. A scramble followed as they grabbed their things and flooded toward the stairway. Lois did her best to stay calm. How big was the explosion? Was anyone hurt? She craned her neck to look behind her and felt a surge of relief when she saw Kent.

The mailroom was three floors below. Smoke and dust filled the air as they got nearer to it. She covered her nose with her sleeve.

“Come on, people!” Perry urged.

“Is anyone still in there?” Kent called.

“I don’t know, but it’s not safe. Keep moving!”

Lois glanced back. She was horrified to see Kent lingering by the door. Other staffers pushed past him on their way down the stairs.

“Kent!” she yelled, and he looked at her.

Then, he opened the door and disappeared.

She screamed his name louder, but he didn’t come back. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her along. She kept looking over her shoulder till the door was out of sight.

When they exited onto the sidewalk, Perry waved them across the street to the park. Lombard was already there. They huddled together, waiting for the first responders to arrive. Perry did a head count. Some people made frantic phone calls to loved ones. Lois paced back and forth, hugging herself and watching the exit.

“That fucking dumbass!” she muttered furiously, “That dumbass!”

Who did he think he was? The firefighters would be here soon. But no, he had to rush in and possibly get himself killed!

“Where’s Kent?” Perry asked, “He’s not here?”

A few people responded that they saw him go in the mailroom. Perry echoed Lois’s sentiments with a muttered curse. Several more agonizing minutes passed. Then, the door cracked open. Kent staggered out with a man leaning against him. The man’s clothing was darkened with soot. After helping him lie down on the sidewalk, Kent went back in, and Lois felt like screaming. He reemerged a few seconds later, carrying another man and laying him down, as well. Then, he sank down himself and hunched over. A lump formed in her throat as she tried to discern if he was hurt. The sound of sirens rang down the street.

The ambulances took all three of them. Several other people from the mailroom were hospitalized, as well. No one died, but there were some severe burns and smoke inhalation. The _Planet_ owners offered counseling sessions and paid leave to everyone, but Lois had never been one for breaks. She returned to work the next day. She’d never been so arrogant as to think nothing dangerous could ever happen – after all, it wasn’t hard to piss people off in this line of work – but to know that her peers had been affected made it so much more painful.

Despite sitting at her desk all day, she was drawn by dusk. Perry came over and stood by her desk.

“Go home, Lois,” he said softly.

She nodded silently.

The street was busy as always. Crowds, traffic, lights. As if nothing had happened. She looked up at the overcast sky. Kent might still be in the hospital. If his family was in Kansas, he probably didn’t have any visitors. She went to the nearest shop and bought the first flower bouquet she saw. At the hospital, she waited awkwardly at the reception desk until the nurse got off the phone.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Clark Kent’s room.”

“And you are…?”

“His…coworker.”

The nurse gave her the room number, and Lois thanked her. She wandered down the corridors and slowed to a halt beside the door.

What if he didn’t want to see her? She’d been so shitty last time they talked. She looked down at the flowers in her hand. But he didn’t have anyone else…

She turned the knob. Kent was in the second bed. He was sitting up and looking out the window. His bedside table already had three bouquets on it.

_“Well, fuck.”_

He turned his head to look at her, and his eyebrows raised slightly.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey.”

She stepped closer carefully as if there was an ice pond between them.

“How are you?” she asked.

“Not bad. I pulled a muscle, and my lungs are irritated. They said I’ll be out of here soon.”

“That’s good. I mean, it sucks, but it could be worse.”

“Yeah.”

An awkward silence passed.

“You already had some visitors,” she said as she placed her bouquet on top of the pile.

“Yeah. From Perry and a couple people from work.”

“That was really brave. Stupid, but brave.”

“Why did you come here?” he asked abruptly.

“Because…I wanted to see how you were.”

“So, you were worried about me?” His smirk was both smug and bitter.

She glanced away. “Most people wouldn’t have done what you did,” she murmured.

“I think you’d be surprised.”

“I hope we don’t get another chance to test that theory. I have to go now. Feel better.”

“Thanks for your concern. And for the flowers.”

She couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not, so she nodded and turned to leave. The door sounded loud as it shut behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

Kent returned to the office a few weeks later to a smattering of applause that he waved off with embarrassment. Lois couldn’t help smiling in spite of herself. Near the end of the day, Jenny leaned over her cubicle wall.

“Hey, we’re going for drinks later, wanna come?”

“I dunno. I’m still busy here.”

“C’mon! We all need to cut loose sometimes.”

Lois threw her an apologetic smile. “Maybe.”

“Alright, suit yourself.”

The noise died down as people filtered out for the night. The harsh light of desk lamps pooled in the office. Even those slowly went out one by one. Lois wrapped up the segment and shouldered her purse. At this hour, she usually grabbed takeout and went straight home, but she felt wistful. She found herself walking into the nearby bar. She quickly spotted Jenny and the others. It was a big group. They took up two booths. Kent was seated at the bar beside Jenny.

“Heeey!” Lombard yelled and spread his arms dramatically towards her, “The great Lois Lane joins us peasants for a drink!”

“Shut up, Lombard. You’re drunk,” she said as she dropped her purse in the booth.

She hopped up onto the barstool on Kent’s left. Jenny surreptitiously made her exit and returned to the others.

“Straight whiskey, please,” she said to the bartender.

Kent was nursing a tall glass of beer that was almost empty. He sipped it and looked straight ahead. Lois swiveled to face him.

“You know,” she began, “when I first met you, you didn’t seem like the type to give someone the cold shoulder.”

Kent set down the glass and faced her, too.

“Yeah, I’m not usually like this. It’s only when someone pisses me off when I start to forget my manners.”

The bartender set down her whiskey.

“What if I said sorry?”

“What _if_ you said sorry?” he said, tilting his head.

She inhaled lightly before speaking. “I’m sorry. I was being an asshole.” She paused, looking for more words, but she couldn’t think of any.

She thought his eyes softened a little.

“Does this mean our agreement is null and void?” he asked.

“What agreement?”

“That I have to let you talk first.”

She smirked and picked up her drink.

“I’d say so, yeah.”

She offered him a toast. Their glasses clinked, then she downed the whiskey in one swig.

“So,” Kent said as he turned his glass with a finger, “What do you do after work?”

An amused smile played on her lips. “Normally? Get takeout. Watch TV. Go to bed. What about you?”

“Same thing…Maybe we could eat together sometime, seeing as we have that in common.”

“Sure,” she said casually.

Kent was smiling as he looked at her. His blue eyes were warm now, and she felt her insides melting.

“How ‘bout tomorrow?” he suggested.

“That works for me.”

“Great.”

They still hadn’t broken eye contact, and Lois felt like she was being sucked into a whirlpool. Every passing second made the prospect of letting him out of her sight more displeasing.

“I, uh,” she mumbled, “should go get dinner now, actually. You wanna come?”

“Sure.”

He broke the spell by looking away and paid for their drinks. They hastily said goodbye to everyone. There were a lot of amused looks, but Lois placated herself with the knowledge that there was still plenty of time to plot her revenge. She and Kent walked wordlessly at first as she led the way to her favorite Thai place. Once she told him where they were going, however, he quickly sprang into a lively monologue about how much he loved Thai food. They sat down in the restaurant, and Lois found herself easily settling into conversation with him. By they left the restaurant, Lois felt like they had started from scratch. They talked endlessly until the taxi they were sharing pulled up to her apartment.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said regretfully with her hand on the door handle.

“See you. Have a good night.” It was obvious that he was just as hesitant to part ways as she was.

She briefly considered giving him a kiss on the cheek – or more – but she turned and got out. Her blood pounded in her ears as she scaled the stairs up to her apartment. A sweeping wave of relief turned into endorphins, which turned into an exhilaration that was almost like being high. She shut the door to her apartment and leaned her back against it. She grinned and closed her eyes as she let the feelings wash over her.

_“So, this is what it feels like.”_

She replayed every moment of their “date” as she got ready for bed. Under the covers, she stared up at the ceiling. Her mind was in overdrive. There was no way she could sleep like this. She knew the cure, and she didn’t give a fuck what it took to get it.

She dialed his number – They had exchanged numbers before they left the restaurant. He answered after the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Are you home, yet?” she asked.

“Uhhh, yeah. Why?”

“How would you feel about coming back here?”

There were a few seconds of silence on the other end, followed by a heavy, muffled sigh.

“You are,” he began slowly, “an enigma.”

“Why don’t you come over then and try to figure me out?”

“You hated me not so long ago.”

“Jesus, Kent, can you let me live it down, please?”

“First of all, you need to stop calling me ‘Kent’.”

“Will you let me live it down, _Clark_?”

He chuckled. “I’m willing to let it go, yes.”

“Look, I won’t blame you if you’re already in bed, but all I’m saying is that mine is half-empty.”

There was another heaving sigh. “Alright,” he muttered.

“My apartment number is 13.”

“Ok.”

He hung up then, and she grinned and jumped out the bed. She freshened up, put on her nice underwear, then threw on a tank top. She got bored waiting but perked back up again when the door buzzed. She smirked in satisfaction as she flitted to the door. He was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. She barely had time to appreciate his appearance before he was grabbing her and pulling her into his arms. She gasped. His lips were inches away, but all he did was stare into her eyes. This wasn’t what she expected. Finally, he lowered his head to tenderly kiss her. Another rush of endorphins flooded her, and she kissed him back in a mystified way. Their lips parted softly, and they stared at each other in shocked ardor.

Then, something animal took over. Lois’s back was pressed to the door, and her legs were crossed behind his back. His hands were groping her ass. He carried her to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed with her in his lap. She felt the planes of muscles down his chest and abs till she reached his pants. She fumbled with the belt, but his hands grabbed her wrists.

He broke the kiss and mumbled, “Hold on. Take it easy…”

“What do you mean?” she grumbled.

He pushed her away and pinned her back to the bed. He held her wrists on either side of her head. She frowned up at him.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I don’t want it to be so fast. Let me just…take this in.”

She huffed, “Seriously, Kent?”

“What did I say about calling me ‘Kent’?”

He really did seem like he was committing this moment to memory. Lois’s pout faded as she saw the depth of feeling he was experiencing. He slowly lowered his head to kiss her again, and it was tamer this time. He brushed his lips across her cheek and in the hollow of her ear. She liked the way his breath gusted against her skin.

Lois let out a disgruntled groan as he mouthed sensually down her neck. “Are you making love to me?”

“I thought that’s what you wanted,” he murmured against her collarbone.

“I wanted to fuck.”

He grinned up at her.

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you.” He let go of her left wrist to caress her breast. “I intend to enjoy this as much as possible. I think you will, too.”

She begrudgingly enjoyed his sensual touches, as frustrating as it was to not get the instant gratification she had craved. He was good at this, she had to admit. And she wasn’t about to complain when he buried his face between her legs.

For all his confidence, he turned into a mess as soon as their bodies connected. She gave in to him and let him whisper that he loved her, though she didn’t respond. They passed out in each other’s arms.

~

Lois was somewhat disoriented when she woke up. His body felt hot under hers. She carefully lifted her head to avoid waking Clark. He looked especially cute when he was asleep. His face was serene, and his long lashes cast shadows on his cheeks. She pushed his arm off of her waist and sat up.

There was no going back now. She had a sinking feeling in her gut. She climbed over him and retreated to the bathroom. She didn’t know what she was so scared of. He was a good person. They had great chemistry last night. All she had to do was let it happen.

After taking a quick shower, she walked out the bathroom with a towel around her abdomen. She jumped when she saw Clark sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Please tell me you’re not gonna kick me out,” he said.

“Why would I kick you out?”

“Because you just wanted sex. I’d rather not be used, so let me know up front what it is you want.”

She was mildly offended, but then she remembered that he had good reason to be concerned about her intentions. She stepped forward.

“I’m not gonna kick you out, Clark.”

Hope flickered across his face. “I can stick around, then?”

“Yeah,” she sighed as she draped her arms over his shoulders.

He held her waist. “We can make this work.”

“You’re such a good guy,” she murmured.

“You don’t sound too happy about that. Would it be easier to reject me if I was an asshole?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry. You can be mean enough for the both of us,” he said with a smirk.

She smirked back and playfully yanked on his hair. His exposed neck suddenly looked very inviting. She bent down to plant a kiss on his throat. He inhaled as she tilted his head further back and started working on a hickey. If she was stuck with him, she may as well mark him.

“Are you making love to me, Lois?”

“Shut up and lie back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! Hope you enjoyed it.  
> Please leave a comment. :)


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